Flameless venting system

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a flameless venting system, along with associated devices and methods. In one aspect, the disclosure is directed to a flameless venting system having a curved flange, which may allow the system to mount directly to the curved surface of a vessel. In another aspect, a disclosed flameless venting system has a curved filter exit. In still another aspect, a disclosed flameless venting system may be configured such that a flame-arresting quenching body component may be joined to a vessel prior to installation of an explosion panel component. In addition, a quenching body component may be configured to provide access to its interior, to facilitate inspection, replacement, or maintenance of an explosion panel contained therein.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure generally relates to a flameless venting system for aprotected volume within a vessel, building structure, piping or ductsystem, or other enclosed processes.

BACKGROUND

A fire or explosion can result from ignition of a combustible material,such as dust, gas, or vapor, when mixed with oxygen present in theenvironment. When such ignition takes place within a protected volumecontained by a vessel, such as a process or storage enclosure, the rapidrise in pressure developed may exert destructive forces within a fewmilliseconds, which may place both personnel and equipment at risk.

A number of industries may face the danger of ignition in an enclosedsystem or building structure, including plastics, food and dairy,pigments and dyes, wood processing, grain processing, coal processing,pharmaceuticals, grain ethanol, chemicals, metals, and agrochemicals.Within and/or beyond those industries, particular applications may posethe danger of such ignition. For example, cyclones, bag houses,cartridge filters, pneumatic conveying systems, milling processes(including pin milling, ball milling, etc.), bucket elevators, dustcollectors, bins, dryers, ovens, roller mills, grinding applications,and buildings may all pose the danger of ignition causing fire orexplosion.

The destructive forces associated with a fire or explosion may take theform of a detonation (i.e., an expanding flame ball that proceeds at aspeed in excess of the speed of sound in air) or a deflagration (i.e.,an expanding flame ball that proceeds below the speed of sound in air).

Most materials handling, processing, and storage equipment is notdesigned to resist the pressure of an explosion. To survive adeflagration, for example, processing and storage equipment typicallymust be designed to resist the maximum pressure (P_(max)) developed bythe combustion process. Such design may be prohibitively expensive,however, because P_(max) may exceed 75 psig (5.2 bar) in typical cases.Therefore, to address combustion, a process or storage enclosure may beprovided with a system to allow pressure and/or a flame from anexplosion to escape the enclosure.

An explosion venting system provides an explosion vent as part of theprocess, building, piping, ducting or storage enclosure. The explosionvent may include an explosion panel, burst panel, rupture disk, or otherpressure-release mechanism.

Combustion within the enclosure may create an increased pressure (i.e.,overpressure), which in turn can lead to opening of the explosion vent.When an explosion vent opens, a flame ball may be released from theenclosure. The flame ball may be released directly to the atmosphere.Alternatively, if the explosion vent is deployed within a building orstructure, a duct may be used to direct the flame ball away from theenclosure, e.g., to the exterior of the building or structure. Anexplosion venting system may do little to mitigate a flame of a flameball, and may still result in a pressure wave resulting from combustion,or particulates resulting from the combustion.

A flame arrestor system may be provided as part of the process orstorage enclosure. A flame arrestor may comprise a filter component suchas a coiled-ribbon-type mesh, woven metallic mesh, or ceramic matrix,which is designed to provide a series of small flow paths through theflame arrestor's structure. When the flame passes through the small flowpaths of the filter, it tends to be suppressed or extinguished as theheat is absorbed by the filter material and the combustion process ismomentarily starved of oxygen. A flame arrestor is typically deployed ina combustible gas or vapor application, although the extinguishing offlame also may be effective with combustible dusts, mists, and vapors. Aflame arrestor may provide effective mitigation of a flame, therebyacting as a barrier to the flame's progress.

A flameless venting system provides a combination of an explosion ventand a quenching module (which may be a flame arrestor or include a flamearrestor), and is designed to absorb a flame ball arising from thecombustion of a dust, gas, vapor, mist, or combination thereof.Depending on the design of the flameless venting device, it may mitigatethe flame ball, reduce a pressure pulse emitted by the combustion, andabsorb some or all of the particulates arising from, e.g., a combustibledust explosion. Thus, a flameless venting system may be particularlydesired in circumstances in which an ejected flame ball or ejectedparticulates are unacceptable. For example, flameless venting systemsmay be particularly suited to installation in confined indoor spaceswhere personnel may be in the vicinity, or where secondary risks ofcombustion are present.

A flameless venting system may be a round system (as might be used witha circular vent) or a rectangular system (as might be used with arectangular vent). In general, round devices are conducive to a largeratio between vent area and flame-arresting area (typically greater than5:1), which makes round devices superior for dust absorption. Rounddevices include, e.g., the IQR™ device of BS&B Safety Systems. Also ingeneral, rectangular devices have a smaller ratio between vent area andflame arresting area (typically greater than 2:1), which typically makestheir dust-absorption more limited. Rectangular devices include, e.g.,the R-IQR™ device of BS&B Safety Systems.

In some applications, a flameless venting system may be mounted on acurved surface, such as the cylindrical surface of a storage silo or thecylindrical surface of a round-body dust collector. Known flamelessventing systems require using an adapter to transition from such curvedsurfaces to the flat-flanged mounting arrangement of a known flamelessventing system. In other words, known flameless venting systems cannotmount directly to a curved surface. Using an adapter to mount aflameless venting system is often inconvenient or undesirable. Theadapter may add cost, weight, and/or size to the flameless ventingsystem. Additionally, the adapter may add a ledge, a corner, or someother geometrical complexities that may attract contamination and/or mayotherwise be difficult to clean. In “clean product” industries, such asthe food industry and pharmaceutical industry, it is desirable to avoidor eliminate any such opportunities for contamination.

In a known system using a flameless venting system, an explosion vent isfirst installed on a vessel containing a protected volume. A flamearrestor component is then positioned and installed over the explosionvent, perhaps as part of a quenching module. Such known systems presentsignificant drawbacks in installation. For example, an explosion vent istypically made of a relatively light-gauge material (e.g., from0.020-inch to 0.080-inch or 0.5-mm to 2.0-mm thick), and is carefullycalibrated to open in response to a particular pressure differential. Aflame arrestor component and/or quenching module is much heavier bycomparison. For example, a quenching module/flame arrestor component ofa flameless venting device is typically a fabricated structure made ofsheet metal and angled metal of typical thickness between 0.080-inch to0.250-inch, or 2.0-mm to 6.5-mm, which results in a mass perhaps anorder of magnitude (or more) greater than the mass of the explosionvent. As one example, the combined weight of a flameless venting system(i.e., an explosion vent and flame arrestor) may exceed 200 pounds or 90kg, whereas the weight of an explosion vent alone may be around 20pounds or 9 kg. During installation of a known flameless venting system,the relatively lightweight vent must be held in place gently while theheavy arrestor mechanism and/or quenching module are mounted above thevent and the whole arrangement is bolted to a vessel containing aprotected volume. Often, such flameless venting systems are installed onsubstantially vertical surfaces (e.g., the side wall of a silo), and/oron a surface that is difficult to access. As such, the installationprocess is difficult and presents the risk that the heavy arrestormechanism may damage the relatively delicate (and often carefullycalibrated) explosion vent.

A known flameless venting system also presents difficulties ininspection and maintenance. Applicable codes and standards requirecomponents (e.g., explosion vents and flame-arrestor filters) to beinspected periodically. In a known system, such inspection typicallyrequires removal of the flame arrestor (a process that may necessitatefull replacement of the explosion vent) or requires an inspector toenter the protected volume to inspect the explosion vent from theprocess side. Inspection from the process side may be difficult,particularly if the vent is positioned in a difficult-to-access part ofthe process. Also, inspection from the process side may be undesirable,to the extent that inspection creates the risk of an inspectorcontaminating or damaging the protected volume. Also in known flamelessventing systems, the flame-arrestor filter may only be inspectedexternally, because the interior of the flame arrestor is inaccessible.Further, in a known flameless venting system, the explosion vent mayonly be replaced via removal of the flame arrestor—i.e., it is notpossible to replace the explosion vent while the heavy flame arrestor orquenching module remains mounted in position on the protected enclosure.

In view of the foregoing, it may be desirable to provide a flamelessventing system that may mount directly onto a curved surface without anadapter. It also may be desirable to provide a flameless venting systemin which a flame arrestor may be mounted on a vessel more easily, and/orsuch a system in which an explosion vent or other flameless ventingsystem components may be installed, inspected, and maintained moreeasily (e.g., without removing the flame arrestor).

The disclosure herein provides a device, system and associated methodsthat may achieve one or more advantages over the known devices, systemsand methods in the art, including such art described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate several embodiments and togetherwith the description, serve to explain principles of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flameless venting system having acurved mounting flange.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another flameless venting system havinga curved mounting flange.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another flameless venting system havinga curved outlet.

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the flameless venting system ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 4B is a front view of the flameless venting system of FIG. 3,showing line A-A along which the cross-section of FIG. 4A is shown.

FIG. 5 is a bottom-up view of the flameless venting system of FIG. 3,showing an explosion vent within the flameless venting system.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the explosion vent and mounting flanges ofthe flameless venting system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7A is a detail perspective view of the flameless venting system ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the flameless ventingsystem of FIG. 3, further showing the location of the detail perspectiveview in FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a flamelessventing system.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views of still other embodiments ofa flameless venting system.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the flameless venting system of FIG. 3mounted on a vessel.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the flameless venting system of FIG. 3,including a covering member.

FIG. 12 is a partial perspective view of a flameless venting system,illustrating a sensor mount.

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of a flameless venting system,illustrating a sensor mount.

FIG. 14A is a partial perspective view of the flameless venting systemof FIG. 3 from the rear, illustrating the removal of a rear hatch.

FIG. 14B is a partial perspective view of the flameless venting systemof FIG. 3 from the front, illustrating the quenching module body withthe filter and supports removed.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a flameless venting system,illustrating an explosion vent.

FIG. 16A illustrates a conductive grounding member.

FIG. 16B illustrates another conductive grounding member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present exemplaryembodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingfigures.

FIG. 1 illustrates a flameless venting system 100, which includes afilter 120 retained in place by way of supports 112. The flamelessventing system 100 includes a mounting flange 111, which is configuredto mount on a vessel containing a protected volume. As illustrated, themounting flange 111 is curved, which allows the flange 111 to mount to acurved vessel surface, such as the surface of a cylindrical silo, dustcollector, or dust bin.

In use, an explosion vent within the flameless venting system 100 may bepositioned over an opening in the vessel containing a protected volume,and the explosion vent and/or flameless venting system 100 may besecured to the vessel via mounting flange 111. A gasket (not shown) maybe provided between the flange 111 and a mated flange of the vessel (notshown). The explosion vent may be configured to burst in the event of anexplosion within the protected volume, which will allow a pressure wave,propagating flame, gases, and/or debris (as applicable) to escape intothe interior of the flameless venting system 100 to be absorbed orretained by the filter 120 to prevent or reduce one or more of thepressure wave, propagating flame, gases, and/or debris from escaping thesystem into the environment.

Because the mounting flange 111 is curved, the embodiment of FIG. 1 mayallow direct mounting to the curved surface of a vessel containing aprotected volume—i.e., without the need for an adapter to transitionfrom the curved vessel surface to a flat (non-curved) flange of aflameless venting system. By eliminating the need for an adapter, theflameless venting system 100 may increase convenience, and may decreasethe cost, weight, and/or size associated with using such an adapter. Inaddition, by eliminating the need for an adapter, the flameless ventingsystem 100 may avoid creating a ledge, a corner, or other suchgeometrical complexity that may attract contamination and/or mayotherwise be difficult to clean. Thus, the flameless venting system 100of FIG. 1 may be particularly suited for use in the food orpharmaceutical industries, or other industries in which it is desirableto avoid or eliminate opportunities for contamination.

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of a flameless venting system 200according to the present disclosure. As illustrated, a flameless ventingsystem 200, may include a filter 220, which may be retained using one ormore supports 212. The flameless venting system 200 may include amounting flange 211, which may be configured to mount on a vesselcontaining a protected volume. As illustrated, the mounting flange 211may be curved, which may allow the flange 211 to mount to a curvedvessel surface, such as the surface of a cylindrical silo or dust bin. Aflameless venting system 200 may eliminate the need for an adapter, in amanner similar to that described above in connection with system 100. Aflameless venting system 200 may operate in conjunction with anexplosion vent, in a manner similar to that described above inconnection with system 100.

Although the embodiments in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are described as beingused with an explosion vent, the disclosure is not limited to suchconfigurations. For example, a flameless venting system 100 or 200 maybe used in conjunction with a burst panel, rupture disk, or othermechanism configured to release pressure, gas, debris, or flame from aprotected volume in the event of an explosion. A flameless ventingsystem 100 or 200 also may be used over a simply open orifice. Inaddition, although the embodiments in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are illustratedwith a rectangular interface between the flameless venting system 100 or200 and a vessel containing a protected volume, it is contemplated thatother shapes of interface may be used. For example, a flameless ventingsystem may have a trapezoidal, round, or circular interface, which maybe suitable, e.g., for use with a trapezoidal, round, or circularexplosion vent. Indeed, it is contemplated that a flameless ventingsystem may be shaped for use with any shape of explosion vent (includingasymmetrical or otherwise irregularly-shaped vents).

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the disclosure. In FIG. 3, aflameless venting system 300 is provided with a quenching module havinga body 310. A flange 311 may be provided for mounting the flamelessventing system onto a vessel housing a protected volume. An outlet ofthe body 310 may be covered with a filter 320, which may be, e.g.,coiled-ribbon-type mesh, woven metallic mesh, or ceramic matrix, whichmay be designed to provide multiple small flow paths through thequenching module body 310. The filter 320 may be supported by way of oneor more supports 312, and the filter 320 and/or supports 312 may bemounted on the outlet of the body 310 by way of bolts, clamps, welding,adhesives, or other suitable mechanisms. In one embodiment, it may beadvantageous to mount the filter 320 and/or supports 312 vianon-permanent means (e.g., bolts or clamps) to allow removal andreplacement of the filter 320 and/or supports 312 independent from thebody 310. The body 310 also may be provided with lifting lugs 314, whichmay be used to lift the system 300 into place for installation. The body310 also may have a rear hatch 330, which may provide access to theinterior of the system 300 when the hatch is removed. The body 310 alsomay include a mount for a sensor 340, which is discussed in more detailbelow in connection with FIG. 4A.

The rear hatch 330 may allow inspection of the vent without removal ofthe full flameless venting system 300 and quenching module body 310 fromservice. For example, a rear hatch 330 opening may allow periodicinspections in compliance with NFPA 68 or other applicable codes orrequirements. During operation, the hatch 330 may be closed using adoor, as illustrated. Other hatch closures are contemplated, includingheat shields, mesh, or other suitable barrier to limit egress of heat,flame, dust, or other materials through the hatch. Covering the hatch insuch a manner may provide safety for the system and operators.Additionally, covering the hatch may force escaping heat, flame, dust,or other materials toward the filter 320 of the quenching module, sothat the filter may absorb or retain the heat, flame, dust, or othermaterials as needed.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B provide additional views of the flameless ventingsystem 300. FIG. 4B depicts the system 300 viewed from the outlet sideof the body 310. FIG. 4A depicts a cross-sectional view taken along lineA-A of FIG. 4B. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, the flameless venting system300 may have an arc-shaped outlet covered by the arc-shaped filter 320and supports 312. FIG. 4A further illustrates the hatch 330 covering therear of the body 310, as well as a handle 331, which may be used tomanipulate the hatch 330 to open or close the rear of the body 310.

As illustrated in FIG. 4A, an explosion vent 350 may be provided withinthe flameless venting system 300. The explosion vent may include aflange 352, which may be joined to a mated flange of a vessel (notshown) or to a mated flange of a flameless venting system. The explosionvent also may include a panel 351, which may be configured to open inresponse to an explosion within the vessel. Sensor 340 may detect theopening of the panel 351, and may send a notification signal to notify acontrol system or an operator that the panel 351 has opened. The signalsent by sensor 340 may be used, e.g., to sound an alarm and/or to shutdown a process contained within the vessel. It may be important toarrest the distribution of combustible fuel within and to the protectedenclosure in the event of a deflagration or detonation. Thus, the sensormay provide an automatic response to a control system to arrest suchdistribution.

FIG. 5 illustrates a view of the flameless venting system 300 from thebottom up (as oriented in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B), to show details of theexplosion vent 350 and rear hatch 330. As illustrated in FIG. 5, anexplosion vent panel 351 may be provided with lines of weakness 353,which may be used to control an opening pattern of the panel 351 and/orto control the pressure differential at which the panel 351 will open.FIG. 5 also illustrates the mounting flange 311 of the body 310. Asillustrated, the mounting flange 311 may be positioned on the exteriorof the quenching module body 310—i.e., extending outwardly away from theexplosion panel 351 inside the system 300. In another embodiment, amounting flange may extend inwardly toward the interior of the quenchingmodule body—i.e., toward an explosion panel inside the system. In such aconfiguration, the flange of the explosion panel may overlap and matewith the flange of the body, or the flange of the explosion panel may belocated inward of the flange of the body, such that the panel flange andbody flange may be adjacent in the same plane, but not overlapping. Asillustrated in FIG. 5, the mounting flange 311 extends only partiallyaround a perimeter of the quenching module body inlet—e.g., the mountingflange 311 extends along two of four edges of the rectangular perimeterof the quenching module body inlet. It is contemplated that in someembodiments, the mounting flange may extend completely around theperimeter of a quenching module inlet. Further embodiments may deploy anexplosion vent that does not require a mounting flange at its outletside.

Additional detail of the relationship between the body flange 311 andexplosion panel flange 352 is provided in FIG. 6. Additionally, FIG. 15provides another view of the flanges of another embodiment.

The disclosed flameless venting system may be provided to fit a vesseloutlet of any suitable size. By way of non-limiting example, thedisclosed system may be configured to fit an outlet of 920 mm×586 mm,610 mm×610 mm, 490 mm×590 mm, 350 mm×650 mm, 305 mm×610 mm, 300 mm×500mm, 270 mm×458 mm, or 170 mm×470 mm. In addition, an embodiment of thedisclosed system may be deployed with a non-rectangular (e.g., circularor round) interface, which may be suitable for use with a circular orround explosion vent, or an irregular shape to suit specific applicationconstraints.

The disclosed flameless venting system may be used with any suitableexplosion vent. As one example, a quenching module may be deployed witha Vent-Saf Plus™ (“VSP”) vent of the type sold by BS&B Safety Systems,including VSP-L and VSP-D type vents. More specifically, a flamelessventing system according to the present disclosure has been tested usinga 0.75 psi (5171 Pa) vacuum-resistant VSP-L vent. Another systemaccording to the present disclosure has been tested using a 2.9 psi(19,995 Pa) vacuum-resistant VSP-D vent. The typical nominal setpressure of exemplary explosion vents tested with one embodiment of aflameless venting system is 0.1 bar, but additional set pressures arecontemplated. For example, set pressures may be below or above 0.1 bar.

Although an explosion vent is described above, the disclosure is notlimited to such configurations. For example, a flameless venting system300 may be used in conjunction with a burst panel, rupture disk, orother mechanism configured to release pressure, gas, debris, or flamefrom a protected volume in the event of an explosion.

FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B illustrate additional views of the flameless ventingsystem 300. FIG. 7B illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view ofthe system 300 along line A-A in FIG. 4B. FIG. 7B illustrates the rearhatch 330 and handles 331 on the rear of the body 310. FIG. 7A providesa detailed view of section ‘B’ of FIG. 7B. Specifically, FIG. 7Aillustrates the positional relationship between the explosion vent(having flange 352 and panel 351) and the body 310. As shown, theexplosion vent may extend across substantially the entire opening of thebody 310, such that the exterior perimeter of the explosion vent flange352 closely follows the interior perimeter of the inlet of body 310.Alternatively, an explosion vent may cover less than the entire openingof the body 310.

Whereas FIG. 4A depicts a flameless venting system 300 with an outlethaving a substantially circular arc, it is contemplated that an outletmay have different cross-sectional geometries. For example, in FIG. 8,depicts a cross-sectional view of another flameless venting system 400.As illustrated, an explosion vent 450 is positioned within a quenchingmodule body 410. The body 410 has a rear hatch 430, with a handle 431,covering the rear of the body. An outlet of the body 410 is covered witha filter 420 supported by supports 412. In cross-section, the outlet ofthe body 410 bulges outward in the center, giving the outlet anelliptical arc shape. In other words, the radius (R) from the rear ofthe explosion vent 450 to the filter 420 is greater toward the center ofthe filter 420 and smaller toward the front and rear of the filter 420.

A curved outlet (such as depicted in FIG. 4A and FIG. 8) may extendacross, e.g., 135 degrees of a circle. Curved outlets of other arclengths (e.g., greater than or less than 135 degrees) also arecontemplated. Using a curved outlet may provide advantages, in that thefilter 320 or 420 has a greater surface area than the cross-sectionalarea of the vent. For example, the filter area may be double the ventarea. By increasing the ratio of filter area to vent area, theefficiency of the entire flameless venting device may be increased.Furthermore, a curved outlet of a quenching module body, along with afilter curved to follow the curve of the outlet, may permitover-rotation of a single section vent, to give a clear deflagrationpath, enhancing the efficiency of the entire flameless venting device bykeeping the open vent substantially out of the combustion flow path.

Although FIG. 4A and FIG. 8 both depict essentially curved flamelessventing system outlet filters, the disclosure is not limited to suchconfigurations. For example, it is contemplated that the outlet of aflameless venting system may be flat, as illustrated in FIG. 9A or maybe provided with one or more angles, as illustrated in FIG. 9B. Althoughthe increased surface area of a rounded outlet filter (as in systems 300and 400) may be desired in some applications to maximize ventefficiencies, it may be adequate in some applications to use a flat orangled system such as illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B. For example, usinga flat or angled system may be more cost-effective or may better fit thearea surrounding the flameless venting system, such that any decreasesin venting efficiency are sufficiently outweighed by those advantages.

Returning to flameless venting system 300, FIG. 10 illustrates thesystem 300 installed on a vessel 360 containing a protected volume. Thesystem 300 is mounted on the vessel 360 via flanges 311. In oneembodiment, prior to installation of a flameless venting system 300, thesystem may be provided with a tag/specification, which may be used toensure that the system matches the mounting flange size and type. Anincorrect flange may affect explosion vent performance. Exemplaryembodiments of a flameless venting system may be exhibit thecharacteristics presented in the following table:

Nominal Nominal panel Fixing panel Size area Weight Belts 170 × 470 mm/0.0785 m²/  62 kg/137 lbs Qty: 20 M10 × 30  7 × 19 inch 0.846 sq feet(or imperial equivalent) 270 × 458 mm/ 0.1226 m²/  85 kg/188 lbs Qty: 22M10 × 30  11 × 18 inch 1.315 sq feet (or imperial equivalent) 300 × 500mm/ 0.1480 m²/ 105 kg/232 lbs Qty: 24 M10 × 30  12 × 20 inch 1.597 sqfeet (or imperial equivalent) 305 × 610 mm/ 0.1840 m²/ 115 kg/254 lbsQty: 26 M10 × 30  12 × 24 inch 1.980 sq feet (or imperial equivalent)350 × 650 mm/ 0.2250 m²/ 125 kg/276 lbs Qty: 26 M10 × 30  14 × 26 inch2.427 sq feet (or imperial equivalent) 490 × 590 mm/ 0.2870 m²/ 145kg/320 lbs Qty: 32 M10 × 30  19 × 23 inch 3.088 sq feet (or imperialequivalent) 610 × 610 mm/ 0.3695 m²/ 160 kg/353 lbs Qty: 32 M10 × 30  24× 24 inch 3.975 sq feet (or imperial equivalent) 586 × 920 mm/ 0.5360m²/ 170 kg/375 lbs Qty: 42 M10 × 30  23 × 36 inch 5.770 sq feet (orimperial equivalent)

In the event of an explosion in the system 300, an explosion vent (notshown in FIG. 10) may open, allowing one or more of pressure, gas, dust,or flame, e.g., to reach the filter 320 covering the outlet of thequenching module body 310. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the outlet of aflameless venting system may be covered with a cover, as discussed inmore detail below in connection with FIG. 11.

A flameless venting system 300 may be suitable for use in applicationssuch as bucket elevators, dust collectors, bins, or other applicationsin which a protected volume poses a risk of ignition. A flamelessventing system 300 also may be suited for use with cyclones, bag houses,cartridge filters, pneumatic conveying systems, milling processes(including pin milling, ball milling, etc.), dryers, ovens, rollermills, grinding applications, and buildings.

In operation, a flameless venting system may reach high temperatures andmay exhaust high-temperature gas or other materials through the filter.Thus, it may be necessary or desirable to create a ‘safety zone’ withina certain distance from the quenching module. Personnel, flammablematerials, and/or temperature-sensitive equipment may be restrictedoutside of the safety zone during operation, to avoid the risk ofinjury, damage, or fire during operations that may lead to an explosionbeing quenched in the quenching module. The size of any required safetyzone may be decreased by using protection shields or other mechanisms(not shown) placed between the outlet of system 300 and personnel orsensitive materials or equipment. In one embodiment, the operation of aquenching module may be improved by maintaining a distance between thequenching module and any walls or nearby equipment, so that ventingthrough the filter is not obstructed.

FIG. 11 depicts another embodiment of a flameless venting system 500. Inone embodiment, all or part of a quenching module body 510 may becovered with a cover 570. Specifically as illustrated in FIG. 11, acover 570 may cover an outlet of the flameless venting system 500,including any filter and/or support members such as illustrated, e.g.,in FIGS. 2, 3, 4A, and 4B. The cover 570 may be used to protect thefilter or other components of a flameless venting system against damageor the accumulation of dust. Damage or accumulated dust may hinder thefilter's performance or may create a safety hazard (e.g., if the dust orother accumulated materials are flammable). In one embodiment, the cover570 may be rigid or semi-rigid, and may thus provide impact protectionto the filter. The cover 570 may be designed to rupture in the event ofan explosion, to allow filtered pressure and gases to exit the flamelessventing system 500 through the filter.

FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 provide additional detail of a sensor 40, which maybe used to monitor the opening of an explosion panel 51 in a flamelessventing system. As illustrated in FIG. 12, a sensor mount 41 may beprovided on the body 10 of a flameless venting system and may extendfrom the exterior of the body (FIG. 12) into the interior of the body(FIG. 13) to place the sensor 40 in a position to monitor the opening ofthe panel 51. As illustrated, the sensor 40 is a physical sensor thatwill be triggered when it contacts a panel 51 or panel bracket 59 in theprocess of opening under pressure or vacuum. For example, the sensor 40may be a burst sensor, which may be a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)burst sensor designed to inform the user (or an automatic monitoringsystem) of opening. The sensor 40 may be used to trigger an alarm, or tostop the process feed of material that may exacerbate or perhaps beharmed by an explosion, flame, or other condition. Other sensors arecontemplated, including optical sensors, frangible sensors, tripswitches, magnetic proximity switches, inductive proximity switches orother suitable sensors. In addition, it is contemplated that a sensormay be provided to sense a condition of an explosion panel even beforeopening (e.g., deformation or elevated temperature), wherein thecondition indicates a problem with the system or an imminent explosion.In one embodiment, a vent sensor may be provided integrally with thevent. In another embodiment, the vent sensor may use an intrinsicallysafe voltage system.

The present disclosure provides an advantageous method of installing aflameless venting system, such as the system embodiments describedabove. In one embodiment, a quenching module body (e.g., 310 in FIG. 3,FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 10) may first be positioned over an openingin a vessel (e.g., 360 in FIG. 10) containing a protected volume. Thequenching module body may be lifted into place using, e.g., a shackleand lifting gear attached to lifting lugs (314, FIG. 3) provided oneither side of the body 310. A mounting flange 311 on the quenchingmodule body may be aligned with a corresponding flange on the vessel,and then secured to the vessel. In one embodiment, the mated flanges maybe bolted together. In another embodiment, the mated flanges may beclamped, welded, or adhered together. The mounting flange on thequenching module body may extend outwardly from the body, asillustrated, for example, in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6. Additionally oralternatively, a mounting flange on the body may extend inwardly, towardthe interior of the quenching module body.

A sealing gasket may be provided between mated flanges to provideseal(s) between one or more of the explosion vent, vessel, and quenchingmodule body. A gasket may be a separate component, or may be providedintegrally with the vent, vessel, and/or quenching module body. Asuitable gasket may be made, e.g., from EPDM, silicone, or othersuitable materials.

After the quenching module body 310 is fixed to the vessel, an explosionpanel 350 (or burst panel or other pressure relief device) may beinstalled to cover the vessel opening. The vessel opening may beaccessed, as illustrated in FIG. 14A, by opening a hatch 330 at the rearof the quenching module body. Handles 331 on the hatch 330 may beprovided for this purpose. Alternatively, the vessel opening may beaccessed by removing the filter 320 covering the outlet of the quenchingmodule body 310 (as illustrated in FIG. 14B). If the filter 320 issupported by one or more supports 312, the supports 312 also may beremoved to provide access to the vessel opening.

Once the vessel opening is accessed, an explosion panel 350 may besecured within the quenching module, as illustrated in FIG. 14A and FIG.14B. In one embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B, theexplosion panel may have a flange (352), which may be joined to a matedflange on the vessel. In another embodiment, the quenching module bodymay have a flange extending inward, such that the explosion panel flangemay be joined to the mated flange of the quenching module body. Asealing gasket may be positioned between any such mated flanges. Theexplosion panel may be secured within the quenching module body (whetherto the body or to the vessel) by way of bolts passing through matedholes in the flanges of the explosion panel, quenching model, and/orpressure vessel. In one embodiment, mated flanges may be clamped,welded, or adhered together.

An explosion vent sensor also may be installed and configured to providean indication when the explosion vent opens. In one embodiment, theexplosion vent sensor may be provided integrally with the explosionvent, such that the sensor is installed concurrently with the explosionpanel. In another embodiment, the explosion vent sensor may be installedseparately from the explosion panel. The explosion vent sensor may beconnected to the explosion vent panel. Additionally or alternatively, anexplosion vent sensor may be mounted on the quenching module, asillustrated, for example, in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13.

Before operation, it may be desirable to install one or more conductivegrounding straps. As illustrated in FIG. 16A, a conductive groundingstrap 701 may be installed to form a conductive grounding connectionbetween the quenching module body and the vessel. As illustrated in FIG.16B, a conductive grounding strap 702 may be installed to form aconductive grounding connection between the quenching module body andthe explosion vent. The grounding connections may be used to prevent thebuild-up of static electricity (which can create an explosion in a dustyenvironment).

Embodiments of the disclosed flameless venting system also may be usedwith a method of sizing a flame quenching module of a flameless ventingsystem. According to the method, a normal vent area requirement mayfirst be calculated based on the needs of an application (e.g., based onthe maximum anticipated pressures, particulate sizes, and otherparameters). Additionally or alternatively, a normal vent arearequirement may be determined by looking up known requirements for knownapplications. Next, a vent efficiency correction factor associated withthe flameless venting system may be applied. For example, if anapplication is determined to require a vent area of 3 ft², and aflameless venting system has been demonstrated to have a 64% efficiency,then the necessary flameless venting system exit area size may becalculated by dividing 3 ft² by 0.64 to reach 4.69 ft². Thus, aflameless venting system having at least that exit area may be used. Asanother example, if an application is determined to require a vent areaof 5 ft², and a flameless venting system has been demonstrated to havean 87% efficiency, then the necessary exit area for the flamelessventing system may be calculated by dividing 5 ft² by 0.87 to reach 5.75ft². In both examples, an exemplary 920 mm×586 mm flameless ventingsystem, having a 6 ft² exit area may be used to achieve the necessary4.69 ft² or 5.75 ft² exit areas.

Embodiments of the present disclosure have been tested and demonstratedto achieve certain performance advantages. For example, an embodiment ofthe disclosed flameless venting system may have significant K_(st)capability, including K_(st)≤350. In a dust application, K_(st) is thedeflagration index of the dust, and is an expression of its reactivity.K_(st) is a parameter critical to the sizing of all explosion ventingdevices, including flameless venting devices. Based on observed K_(st)values, an embodiment of the disclosed vent may be used for agriculturaland/or organic dusts.

The disclosed flameless venting system may achieve standards forflameless venting, including, e.g., EN 16009:2011 (the only globalstandard dedicated to flameless venting devices), EN 14491-2012, EN14797-2007, and/or NFPA 68-2007. Furthermore, the disclosed flamelessventing system may be ATEX certified and/or CE marked. The disclosedventing system may meet standard INERIS 15ATEX0016X. In one embodiment,the disclosed venting system may discharge in ATEX Zone 21 & 22, onprotected equipment with dust concentration up to 300 g/m³ and particlesize up to 50 μm.

It is contemplated that individual features of one embodiment may beadded to, or substituted for, individual features of another embodiment.Accordingly, it is within the scope of this disclosure to coverembodiments resulting from substitution and replacement of differentfeatures between different embodiments.

The above described embodiments and arrangements are intended only to beexemplary of contemplated systems and methods. Other embodiments will beapparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of thespecification and practice of the disclosure herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flameless venting system for a protectedenclosure having a curved surface, comprising: a pressure relief deviceconfigured to seal an opening in the curved surface of the vessel, thepressure relief device further configured to open in response to apredetermined pressure within the vessel; a flame arrestor positionedover the pressure relief device, wherein the flame arrestor has amounting flange; wherein the mounting flange is curved to mate with thecurved surface of the vessel.
 2. A flameless venting system for avessel, comprising: a quenching module configured to mount on the vesselover an opening in the vessel, the quenching module comprising: a bodyhaving an inlet and an outlet; a mounting flange extending along atleast a portion of the inlet of the body; and a filter configured tocover the outlet; and a pressure relief device configured to seal theopening in the vessel, wherein the pressure relief device includes arupturable member configured to rupture in response to a predeterminedpressure within the vessel, and wherein the pressure relief deviceincludes a flange wherein the pressure relief device flange isconfigured to be mounted within the quenching module body.
 3. The systemof claim 2, wherein the pressure relief device is configured to mount onthe vessel separately from the quenching module body.
 4. The system ofclaim 2, wherein the quenching module body includes an opening toprovide access to the interior of the interior of the quenching modulewhen the quenching module is mounted on the vessel.
 5. The system ofclaim 4, wherein the quenching module body opening is a hatch.
 6. Thesystem of claim 4, wherein the quenching module body opening isconfigured to permit installation and removal of the pressure reliefdevice from the interior of the quenching module.
 7. The system of claim2, wherein the filter has a curved cross-section.
 8. The system of claim7, wherein the filter has a surface area, and wherein the surface areais at least twice as large as the area of the opening in the vessel. 9.The system of claim 7, wherein the curved cross-section is in the shapeof a circular arc.
 10. The system of claim 7, wherein the curvedcross-section is in the shape of an elliptical arc.
 11. The system ofclaim 2, wherein the mounting flange is curved, and wherein the mountingflange is configured to fit a curved surface of the vessel.
 12. Thesystem of claim 2, further comprising a covering member to cover thefilter.
 13. The system of claim 2, further comprising a sensor to sensewhen the pressure relief device ruptures.
 14. A method of installing aflameless venting system for a vessel, comprising: mounting a quenchingmodule over an opening in a vessel; and mounting an explosion panelwithin the quenching module, such that the explosion panel seals theopening in the vessel, wherein the explosion panel is mounted after thequenching module is mounted.
 15. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising: opening a hatch in the quenching module; wherein mountingthe explosion panel within the quenching module includes inserting theexplosion panel through the hatch in the quenching module.